How Wally Surprised Artemis
by HimeFlye
Summary: Brucely barked loudly and Wally slapped his hand over the phone. "What was that?" Artemis asked, sounding suspicious. "Nothing!" Wally said quickly, giving the dog a death glare. If he ruined Artemis' surprise. . .
1. Chapter 1

**How Wally Surprised Artemis**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

" _ **Every gift from a friend is a wish for your happiness"**_ ~Richard Bach

Wally peeked around the door, glanced around the apartment once, then slipped the rest of the way in carrying his deceptively heavy load. "Come on boy." He set the pudgy dog on the floor, "Good boy. Shhh. Let me make sure she's gone." He hurried down the hall, "Artemis?"

No answer.

" _yes._ " Wally pumped a fist, coming back to the dog and picking him up again as he headed to the bathroom, "She's still in class. That gives us half an hour."

Turning on the faucet, Wally set the squirming animal in the tub and pulled down Artemis' shampoo from the little shelf. He'd run out of his own shampoo like a week ago, but it didn't matter because Artemis' shampoo actually smelt really good.

He squeezed a huge glop of the minty, strawberry, whatever-the-heck-it-as-suposed-to-be onto the dog and began scrubbing. "Hold still!" he grunted, letting out a short laugh as the dog tried to scramble out of the tub. "Dude, come on. You've been locked up in that shelter for _how_ long? You need a bath. Down boy, _down._ Brucely no!"

With a splash and a bark the rescue took off down the hall, soaking the carpet all along the way.

 _Crap, the door,_ Wally thought.

In a burst of speed he slammed the front door shut. The dog skid to a stop, staring at him, tail and ears frozen stiff in utter shock.

"Surprise," Wally smirked. "Now come here." He leaned forward, but the Pit Bull took off again. "No come. . . Come here. . .!"

Wally followed the dog through the kitchen, (Where he almost slipped and killed himself against the counter.) Then they ran into the bedroom where Wally knelt and grabbed the dog's collar pulling until he could get a better grip on the animal. "Sorry pal. There we go. Come on, it's just a bath, it's okay boy."

And back to the tub they went, more or less without trouble. . . Mostly.

By the time it was over more than twenty minuets had passed and the entire bathroom was wet.

Wally sat on the floor, legs up and folded around the dog to hold the animal in place while he took a pair of clippers to the matted fur. He had to stop every five minuets to untangle the mess of dog hair caught in the blades. He was in the process of doing just that when his cellphone rang beside him. He picked it up off the floor, shook off the water, answering quickly. "Hey Babe, what's up?" even while he spoke he sent the dog a death glare, warning not to make a peep and spoil the surprise.

There was a short pause on the other line."You're home already?" Artemis asked over the phone, "Don't you have class?"

"Teacher called in sick." Wally replied, then he grinned "Thought I'd come home and do some cleaning." He glanced around the bathroom _Ya, no kidding._ definitely _need to clean up. . ._

"Oh. . ." Artemis said, unsure of what to say, and that made Wally smile even wider. She'd freaked out last week over feeling overwhelmed about midterms and him 'not doing anything around the apartment' So, he'd legitimately been trying to help out. In turn, she'd been trying to be considerate of his effort even when he failed miserably. "Well. . ." Artemis said slowly, slyly "If you do the dishes I'll take _both_ our laundry in tomorrow."

"That's. . ." Wally gritted his teeth as Brucely tried to pull away. He grabbed the dog by the collar with one hand and put the other over the animal's nose, balancing his phone between his shoulder and cheek. "Ya, kay. Fine. Um. . .You coming home?"

Actually that's why I called. I got invited to a study group. I was going to leave you a message. We should be done in about an hour, depending on how it goes of course."

she sounded ' _so_ ' excited.

Wally grinned despite the pain he knew she must be going through at the thought of academic social interaction among her peers. "Great!" he said, glancing around the bathroom again with the partly shaved dog dripping there on the floor. "I'll see you in an hour."

"Well gee, you don't have to sound so happy I'm gone."

Brucely barked loudly and Wally slapped his hand over the phone.

The dog took off.

"What was that?"

"I'm _never_ glad when you're not with me," Wally said quickly to distract her. He watched Brucely run out the door and sighed inwardly, laying back on the floor, half giving up. "However, I am overwhelmingly _happy_ when you're here. So, I think I have just enough leftover happiness saved up to last an hour while you're gone. . . Or well. . . Maybe not a whole hour. . . I can do forty-five minuets. . . Maybe. Na, maybe a half hour. . ."

"I get it, I get it." Artemis interrupted "Yes, you're cheesy."

He could almost see her adorable head-shake, ponytail bouncing.

"I'll try and make it short," she promised.

"Good. Love you."

"Love you too."

He almost hung up. "Oh wait. Artemis. Do you know where the scissors are?"

"In the kitchen drawer by the sink. Why?"

"I looked there."

There was a pause "Aw crud. You know, I used them to strip my arrow fletchings yesterday. They're probably on the table under all our other junk."

"Okay, thanks!" He hung up on her before she could remember all the questions he hadn't answered. He pocketed the phone and stood stiffly. "Brucely. Come."

The dog had decided to do his outside business inside next to the couch. Wally sighed, walking to the table. He moved the bills and scraps of green arrow fletchings from the table until he found the only pair of scissors in the house. Did she _really_ have to use them? Wouldn't something more slender and sharper like a razor blade or X-acto knife work better anyways? "Come on Boy." He took the dog by the collar again and knelt on the carpet. By this point who cared if fur got in the living room? He was finishing this. He didn't care if it killed him. This dog was getting cleaned up, and then the house was getting clean as well. He couldn't wait to surprise Artemis with their new pet. He'd been testing the idea out on her for weeks now, but never got a flat straight answer. She said she didn't like cats, so _obviously_ she had to like dogs right? And she always oohed and aawed at the puppies in the store windows. Sure, Brucely was older than a puppy, but Wally had seen him in the shelter and those large, gooey, sad eyes had just screamed at him, 'take me home! I belong with you two!'

So, why not?


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

" _ **We accept the love we think we deserve."**_ ~Stephen Chbosky

Artemis shifted her schoolbooks into her other arm and struggled to open the door, chin resting atop her basic chemistry tome. (Seriously, she didn't use the word 'tome' much, but this thing could fit a list of everything Wally ate in a year, it was that huge.) _What the heck? Did he bump the lock again? Seriously?_ It had been a long day, her trip to the mall to find Wally a valentine gift had been a complete and utter fail, Oh ya, and she was hungry. She tried to nudge the door open with her hip, but that didn't work either.

She was about to dig into her pocket for the key, when the door suddenly came open on it's own. She shook her head in mild amusement, stepping in, and turning to shut the door behind her. "Hey Wally, do you want to go get Mexican tonight? Because I really don't—she cut herself off suddenly—What did you do to our door?!"

There was several huge, splintered scratches down the wood. "Wally our landlord's going to kill us! She still hasn't forgiven us for the kitchen window thing!"

She turned to find her boyfriend, but froze in horror. The living room was a disaster. The coffee table was moved clear over next to the TV, Their bookcase was empty, it wasn't standing in the right place/standing at ALL. And every book they owned was scattered across the floor as if a hurricane had gone through it. Water was strewn all along the hallway carpet and walls, possibly into her archery supplies on the kitchen table, and to top it all off, the house smelt like a zoo.

Then there was Wally. He was standing by the sink, elbow deep in dishwater as he pulled the drain, setting it on top of the microwave. "Hi!" he said happily, maybe a little tired, but mostly happy.

"What the heck happened?!" Artemis demanded, dropping her books "WALLY! I've TOLD you, doing the dishes at super speed gets water everywhere!" This was true, but she'd never seen him get it over the ENTIER house before.

"I was doing them slow," wally whined ,just finished. Our deal remember? Laundry?"

"YES, I was doing laundry but that didn't mean you had to tear up the rest of the place, it looks like the Justice League just saved the world in here! What did you …" her voice died off in disbelief.

BARK!

"Crap! Artemis close the door or he'll get out!"

Even as he spoke, Wally ran to the door and slammed it shut. The dog slipped across the tile of the kitchen, trying to stop, and ran flat into Artemis' legs.

"Ha!" Wally cried, "Nice try … Again." He smiled down at the animal and nodded once to makr his victory.

Artemis stared. "What the … "

"Artemis, this is Brucely. Brucely meet your new mommy—Artemis."

In reply, the dog wagged his tail and panted. A long string of slobber dripped onto the floor.

The pit bull looked more like a deranged poodle. The tail was ridiculously fluffy and the rest of his fur shaved short. Artemis was still staring in shock as Wally knelt and rubbed the dog's head "What do ya think?" he smiled up at her.

"You … You got us a dog … "

"Surprise!"

 _Surprise …_

"I picked him up at the shelter this morning. Didn't I buddy? He's a pretty good boy, just a little excited is all. I mean really, all this space? He probably doesn't know what to do with it. But. I gave him a bath, and a trim, and I think he's pretty happy with it! I figured we could use some company, and pit bulls make pretty good guard dogs. Don't get me wrong, I know we don't really nee … Artemis?"

She didn't hear the rest, she walked past them to the bedroom and slammed the door closed behind her.

* * *

What's wrong with Artemis?  
Last chapter coming soon!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 _ **Friendship is the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person. Having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure word**_ **s**

~George Eliot

* * *

"Artemis?"

She walked past him to the bedroom and slammed the door.

Wally stared, "Uh? " He followed quickly, pausing at the door only briefly before cracking it open. "Artemis? Babe?"

She was sitting on the bed.

Just sitting there.

Artemis didn't cry, at least not in the normal sense of crying. However, he'd known her long enough by now to learn her version of the cry face and this was it; It was that dark eyed, solemn, tearful look like suddenly her world was caving in on her. "Babe. . . I 'm sorry about the mess. . . I'll clean it up." He wasn't sure what to say so, like the idiot he was, he just kept talking. "I promise. It won't take me very long. Heck, I could go now and be back before you even. . ./"

"It's not the mess," she said quietly.

"Then what? Is it the dog? I know we hadn't really discussed it." He sat on the bed next to her but kept his hand's off, just in-case she really was ticked. "I just thought you'd like him. I wanted to surprise you."

She sniffed once, then wiped her eyes with her fingertips.

Crap. She really _was_ crying now

Wally panicked. "Look, Hon, I'll take him back!" He felt guilty for saying it, especially since Brucely had just nosed his way into the room and was watching them with those dopey eyes of his. However, regardless of how much he liked the animal, Artemis was more important. "I mean if you don't want. . ./"

"No, no he's fine," Artemis said quickly, finally looking at him. "That's just it Wally. . . He's great." She looked down again, watching the dog as he watched them back. "I've never had a pet before." She finally said, voice quiet as if admitting this fact too loudly would make the dog vanish. Her voice trembled a little as she continued. "I did once. . . Kind of. I found a stray puppy near a dumpster after school so I took him home." She rubbed her arm and grimaced. "I cleaned him up, fed him and stuff. He was really cute but. . ."

Wally watched her worriedly.

Artemis took a breath, wiped her eyes again, and finished the story like it didn't matter anymore. "When Dad found out he tried to use it against me. Big surprise right? If I didn't behave: train everyday, do well in school, do what he told me too. . . He threatened to take the dog away. So, one day he did. I don't know what he did with it, probably killed it." She fell silent.

"Oh my gosh Artemis. I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Wally hated this. He hated how things could be going so well and then Artemis' painful past would sneak up on them. The things she had to go through as a kid while he'd been loved, supported, and sheltered his whole life. . . It wasn't fair and it certainly wasn't right. "If it's too hard on you I understand, I mean. . ."

She grabbed his arm and shook her head "No. Wally that's just it!" She smiled, eyes damp, but more in a shiny fashion now, playing off the light. "I don't have to worry about any of that now. . . Ever again. I'm older and stronger and better. And most of all, I have _you_." She looked down at the dog, then turned, embracing Wally with a hug and a kiss.

It took his breath away and he stared at her. A little confused at the change of emotion. Why did girls do that?

She smiled. "I'm risking sounding really mushy right now, so I'm only going to say this once: Thank you Wally. Thank you for being here for me and being so amazing. I don't have to worry with you because I know you'll never hurt me."

"Of course not!"

"Well, the point is 'thank you.' And I do like the dog. . . What did you call him?"

"Brucely."

She pulled away, leaning forward over the side of the bed and wiggling her fingers. Then, in a sugary voice Wally had never heard her use before, (It was a little creepy) she said, "Come on Brucely. Mommy wants you."

The dog licked her fingers, first tentatively, then eagerly and happy.

"Well yeesh, don't give _her_ any trouble." Wally grumbled, laying back on the bed, arms behind his head. "I knew he'd like you." He was glad the tears where over, glad that maybe he'd done something right after all.

"You know you still get to clean the apartment right?" Artemis reminded, halfway off the bed as she played with the dog's ears.

"Uhhu." Wally said, distracted by about two strands of blonde hair sticking out of Artemis' ponytail.

He'd clean the apartment later.

* * *

The end


End file.
